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Harvest Festival
Today was thanksgiving, and Elaina was very excited. Mainly for the desserts. The problem was, she was worried everyone would be too busy working to celebrate and eat! So, she decided to remind everyone without... waking them up and talking to them. She made a bunch of fliers! She put them under the doors so people would see them, praying they wouldn't not see them and slip on them.* Sylveondream: Shady grabbed the flier from the door and trotted towards her busy master who was currently writing down something on a big brown book. Shady barked as she settled the flier on the floor, looking up from his journal filled with varieties of strange creatures "Good girl Shady." Harold patted her little head before picking up the flier. "Wait today is thanksgiving? I thought it was Tuesday ." *** Jekyll1886: Traipsing across the Society's foyer, Lewis spotted a handbill on the floor. He picked it up. Ms Elaina Hyde: *The flier said- Thanksgiving at the Society for Arcane Science! Please bring a dish and come have dinner!* Jekyll1886: Hm, thought Lewis. 'Seems it's Harvest Festival time. It was good to know some things were consistent across universes, even it was held a little later in the year in this one. He hoped he wasn't going to be roped into going to a church service. But, no, he realized as he reread it, there was no mention of that. He supposed that actually made sense; this was the Society for Arcane Sciences, not the Salvation Army, after all. What a relief. He wondered if the entire Society would be on hand for supper. It would be an excellent opportunity to catch up... he reflected. The decision made, he went to the kitchen to get started baking. *** Mz.Hyde: Oh how wonderful! *Mz. Hyde saw one of the fliers and was delighted!* I had no idea that the British celebrated Thanksgiving! Jekyll1886: "Mz. Hyde," called Lewis. "Care to help me in the kitchen?" Mz.Hyde: Ok! What can I do? Jekyll1886: Lewis was kneading some dough to make bread. On the counter sat a large bowl of small potatoes. "I was wondering if you might care to smash those up violently," he said, indicating the spuds with a motion of his head. Next to the bowl sat a metal potato masher. Mz.Hyde: Pfft, a potato masher?! That'll take forever! I'll go get a hammer! *Goes off to find one.* Jekyll1886: He transferred the tubers to a clean, shallow, metal bucket and hid the original bowl before her return; he went back to kneading. Mz.Hyde: Found one!~ *She puts a potato on the floor and smashes it. She repeats this process, until she smashes the last one and scrapes it all into a bowl. Done! Jekyll1886: "Your unconventionality never ceases to amaze me," he laughed. He made a mental note to have Rachel prepare some new potatoes properly later. "On that note, I've finished kneading this dough." Indeed he had. He'd also set it out into several small, partially flattened lumps. "I'd like us to form it into little shapes, to lend an added air of whimsy to the festivities." He indicated an example he'd done up; it looked like a miniature sheaf of wheat. PICTURE Mz.Hyde: Oh! It's so cute! Jekyll1886: "Thank you," said Lewis. "Feel free to create your own shapes as well," he encouraged, sliding half the dough over to her. "Anything which strikes your fancy." Mz.Hyde: Hmmmm.... I know! *She tries to mold the bread into an obscene manner.* Done! Jekyll1886: Weir burst out laughing. "Well done, Mz. Hyde!" he exclaimed, slapping his knee. "An accurate depiction of Mr. Labouchère if ever I've seen one." Mz.Hyde: Why thank you!~ Jekyll1886: "You're most welcome. Though, stodgy M.P. aside, the shape is appropriate to the occasion all on its own," he added. "It was originally a celebration not just of abundance but also, by extension, fertility." He paused, a mischievous smile perched on his lips. "I imagine your significant other might get a kick out of this one," he said, raising his eyebrows as he gestured to Mz. Hyde's handiwork. Mz.Hyde: Yeah, I'm sure Eddie will love it, he was my model for this after all! Jekyll1886: "I take it Henry's a bit...shall we say...repressed," ventured Lewis. "If that dough's a full-scale model." Mz.Hyde: Yeah, he's like an Amish teenager! Jekyll1886: He snickered. "Thought so." Weir looked from the dough to the oven and back to Mz. Hyde. He couldn't repress a smirk as he pointed out, "You know...that dough is going to 'rise' to the occasion when we bake it." Mz.Hyde: *Mz. Hyde bursts out laughing and falls to the ground.* OH GAWD I CAN'T BREATHE!!!! XD Jekyll1886: "Murder via laughter. My work here is done," joked Lewis. He dropped an oblong lump of dough as if it were a microphone and he'd just won a competition. Mz.Hyde: Did you just drop a mic?! BWAHHAHAHA!!! Jekyll1886: "Guilty as charged." He chuckled. "Ah...I haven't had this much fun in a long time." Mz.Hyde: Been busy? Jekyll1886: "Been stuck in a dimension full of shallow, judgy people and far too many cameras. 'Never thought I'd be relieved to be back in Victorian London." Mz.Hyde: It's not the cleanest of places, but it's home for millions of people. You know, why is it always a dimension full of shadows and nightmares? Why can we never go to a dimension full of beautiful fields and kittens and stuff? Jekyll1886: "Exactly!" concurred Lewis. "I've wondered the same thing many a time. I want a dimension full of sherry and sweetmeats and saucy lads and wenches, dammit!" he laughed. Mz.Hyde: Well if you find one, come back and let me know! Jekyll1886: "Certainly," he grinned. "I trust you'll do the same." Discounting the "mic" drop, he'd continued to shape dough as they'd conversed. Some of the lumps now looked like leaves or fruits or harvest vegetables, while others appeared to be miniature versions of individual lodgers. He'd used a sterilized scalpel to carve their tiny features. Mz.Hyde: Woah....I've heard of ice sculptures, but not bread sculptures!! Jekyll1886: "I'm practicing for an interview at that bakery down the way," he explained. "After that greedy b****** practically blackmailed us for Alice's bail, I'll need a second job to make up the rent." He put the finishing touches on a lilliputian Dr. Lanyon. "Also thought these might add a more personal touch to the meal. And I must admit to a certain curiosity vis-à-vis the lodgers' reactions." Mz.Hyde: Yeah, I never get along with cops. *She holds up a mini Catt.* These are so cute! So, what do you do here? Jekyll1886: "Thanks." He smiled. "My technical title is 'transcendental metaphysicist', but in practice that simply means I study the human soul and its permutations. It's a bit of psychology, a bit of metaphysics, a bit of alchemy on occasion, but mostly it's just talking to people, trying to know them better. I've a particular interest in the so-called 'Jekyll-and-Hyde' phenomenon, which is one of the reasons I came to this dimension." A pause, a wistful air, as he considered whether to say more. Mz.Hyde: Really? What have you found out about us so far? Jekyll1886: "The lodgers in general or the Jekylls and Hydes in particular?" he asked, transferring some of the dough-filled trays to the oven. Mz.Hyde: Both I guess. Jekyll1886: "You've a delightful menagerie of lodgers here--so many different personalities, interests, worldviews! It's very refreshing, for the most part." He set to work sculpting the next batch. "I've learned that souls touched by the supernatural read a little differently than most, but not unrecognizably so. I'm gradually learning which goes to which type of creature. As for the Jekylls and Hydes, you've quite a variety, but all those whom I've had the chance to speak with thus far do fall within the expected parameters. With luck, I'll soon be able to tease out their patterns. Some are taking shape already." He finished up a tiny, doughy Nex, depicted back-to-back with her glutinous counterpart, Dreamer. "Would you mind if I studied you?" he asked, moving on to the next unformed lump. Mz.Hyde: Me? Why me? Jekyll1886: "Because, quite frankly, I find you intriguing," he said, flattening the dough into a disc. Mz.Hyde: Really? How? Jekyll1886: "I'm not entirely sure yet," he admitted. "You've an interesting soul, I'll say that much. I'd have to study it to elaborate further." Mz.Hyde: Wait, you can see people's souls? Jekyll1886: "It's not 'seeing', exactly..." he clarified, stopping work on the disc. "More like 'sensing' or, at most, 'feeling'." Weir wondered whether he should say anything more; people didn't always react well when they learned this about him. Mz.Hyde: Wow, that's really cool! So you just "feel" that I'm different? Jekyll1886: Lewis broke into a smile; he was genuinely, pleasantly surprised, and visibly relieved. "Essentially, yes." He felt she'd ask whatever more she might want to know specifically. Mz.Hyde: Well, how do you know that I'm special? Jekyll1886: "How does one tell red from green? Or that velvet and sandpaper and grass have different textures?" He shrugged. "You just are. I'm still trying to figure out in precisely what way." Mz.Hyde: Oh, I guess that makes sense! Jekyll1886: "Any unusual circumstances in your life or past which you'd be willing to relate might help give me some insight," he explained. "Much like putting a name to a flavor." He laid rosemary pieces on the disc in such a way that it became apparent they were meant to be pine trees, and the dough the harvest moon, like looking skyward in a nighttime forest in autumn. Mz.Hyde: Well, I started off like any other Hyde, just one day popping up out of my Jekyll's mind! Jekyll1886: "Hmm... What kind of person is your Jekyll?" he asked, setting the moon aside. "I can't recall ever seeing you in a different state than the way you are now." Mz.Hyde: *Mz. Hyde suddenly seems uncomfortable.* She's....not the nicest person... Jekyll1886: That struck him as unusual. A mere inkling of an idea--not enough for a hunch nor a hypothesis, not yet--began to form. "Mz. Hyde..." he ventured, "what, if you don't mind my asking, do you first remember about being alive?" Mz.Hyde: Well...I-we...were in a hospital room. I was floating in the air, and she was on the hospital bed, with a bunch of bandages around her head. There was a nurse and Mom and Dad in the room with us. They were talking about medicine and treatments and stuff. When the nurse passed by me as she walked out to get her something to eat, I was trying to ask her if I could have something too. When she didn't hear me, I tried asking Mom and Dad...but they couldn't hear me either! When they left after visiting hours ended, I finally realized that nobody could hear or see me...or so I thought. Because at that very moment, Jekyll started talking to me...she asked me a question about...about...Ah! *Mz. Hyde hisses as she rubs the area right above her ears.* Owowowowow! Jekyll1886: "What is it?" asked Lewis. He momentarily forgot everything to do with baking and went into Doctor Mode. This wasn't unlike when Spinks had mentioned "Valeria", now that he thought about it. What was going on? He looked for any visible symptoms, including how Mz. Hyde presented. Were her pupils dilated or constricted? How was her breathing? Et cetera. Mz.Hyde: Ahhh...another headache! It's like a lighting bolt in the middle of my head! Jekyll1886: "How frequently do these occur? Are they preceded by any particular circumstances?" Mz.Hyde: This is the second time...the first was with that feather guy! Jekyll1886: "What, when he mentioned 'Valeria'?" Mz.Hyde: Yeah. *She hisses again.* Gah! Jekyll1886: "Spinks said that was your first name, didn't he?" He decided to hazard a guess: "By any chance, that memory with your Jekyll which you couldn't recall...might it have anything to do with that name?" Mz.Hyde: I don't know! I can't even remember WHY she-we were in there in the first place! Ow! Jekyll1886: "You're not looking too well. Why don't we drop that subject?" he offered. "Could you tell me instead how often, if ever, you turn into your Jekyll? If it's with any frequency, I could simply ask her (assuming it's a 'her'), instead of subjecting you to this pain." Mz.Hyde: Oh, we were separated years ago. We no longer share a body. Though when we did...I hate to say this, but she was the more dominant one. We were young, though, but it still really sucked. I NEVER came out. Jekyll1886: "Oh," said Lewis. "That explains the..." he trailed off, then was caught by another thought: "So, let me see if I understand this correctly... You were separated years ago, she was not nice, and she was dominant." Mz.Hyde: ....Pretty much, yeah. Explains what? That you can't see her soul inside me? Jekyll1886: "You're half right. Honestly, I nearly mistook you for...well, I didn't want to presume." Mz.Hyde: Presume what? Jekyll1886: "Let me just say you are the most atypical Hyde I've ever encountered. I mean, don't get me wrong," he smiled, "you crack bawdy jokes with the best of 'em. But..." he said, "in all seriousness, you're very, very nice. Too nice, really, for your name." He looked her in the eye, the gaze pointed and meaningful. "Do you get what I'm saying?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper. Mz.Hyde: *She thought for a moment before looking back at him.* Wait a minute...you're not saying what I THINK you're saying, right? Jekyll1886: "Aren't I?" He tilted his head, his lips slightly pursed. He may as well have said, "If the shoe fits..." Mz.Hyde: *Mz. Hyde's face looks shocked for one second before she bursts out laughing.* That's a riot! My God Lewis! You should quit being a doctor and go into stand up comedy!! Me?! A freaking JEKYLL?! BWAHHHAHAHAHA! *She laughs hysterically for a few more seconds before taking a gulp of air and slapping him on the back.* Ahhhh...that was good! I'm going to head to the infirmary and grab some Tylenol! *She pauses at the door and puts her hands up like in prayer while looking up at the ceiling.* And maybe cure the common cold while I'm there....haha! See you later Lewis! *She turns and walks out into the hallway, still laughing at the whole idea.* Jekyll1886: "Later," he said, with the ghost of chagrined chuckle. Though the line between the two is never as clear-cut as anyone seems to think... He shook his head and went back to baking. *** Silverliné Carew: ( After the ordeal with the audition sign ups, Silver had sluggishly trudged up to the room her suitor so scandalously graciously offered to share. There she had spent the entire day swaddled in the warmth of the sheets, taunted by the gentle lull of the gas lamp while simultaneously being punished by the pounding and leaking of an overcrowded sinus cavity looking for a release. She hadn't the energy to be surprised when her upright pillow decided to move, leaving her feverish body limp on the mattress. ) Ms Elaina Hyde: *A flier slipped under her door, yellow, orange, red, and brown decorating the paper* Jasper Jekyll: ( Jasper felt bad about removing herself from her ailing beloved. She felt bad about her having such a foolish army inside her. Any soldier worth their salt would learn from the FIRST battle they lost. These? These were lazy. Jasper's curiosity, however, is piqued when she notices a slip of paper under their door. She turns to Silver) Harvest dinner. Silverliné Carew: ''' ( Jasper's announcement is met with a low groan. ) '''Jasper Jekyll: ( She casts a sideways glance at Silver. So tiny. So sick. She needs to eat now more than ever, all she needs are the right words...) They're THAT lousy eh? ... We should probably still go anyway, if only for the company. Silverliné Carew: ' ( She's right. Jasper's reply is met with a louder groan. Eventually, Silver slides out of bed and staggers over to the wardrobe. ''“Can't I just wear my nightrobe?" It is then that she sneezes on several garments. With a third agitated groan, she removes the garments and places them in a basket to wash...later. ) '''Jasper Jekyll: ( She had only intended to chuckle gently, but instead, booming laughter bursts forth from Jasper's diaphragm. ) Silverliné Carew: ''' ( This earns an icy, if not glazed glare from Silver's unnecessarily watery eyes. ) '''Jasper Jekyll: ( Softening. ) Aw hey, don't cry. Silverliné Carew: ''' ( Blinking back infected tears. ) I'm not. ( She sniffles, trying to keep the mucus from dribbling down her face. ) '''Jasper Jekyll: You don't have to pretend to be fine. If you don't want to talk about it, just say so. Silverliné Carew: ''' ( Continuing to blink back water, bordering the appearance of a nervous tick now. ) But I'm not. That stupid kid gave me a cold and I'm leaking snot faster than a tap oh for heaven's sake just get me a tissue! ( She pushes past Jasper and gratefully buries her face in a neatly folded napkin. ) '''Jasper Jekyll: ...What is it with you humans and your lousy security? Silverliné Carew: ''' ( Her voice muffled by both the mucus and the tissue. ) I'd like to know that too Jasper. I'd like to know that too... '''Jasper Jekyll: ( Jasper pulls the softest of Silver's coats and rests it on her shoulders. ) Forget 'em. 'Silverliné Carew: ' ( She tosses the napkin away. Her bleary eyes glitter in the soft lighting, the rings around them much more pronounced in the shadows. Weakly ) I just wanna sleep. Obtained From Thanksgiving Dinner!